The Blog

We Still Have A Lot of Work To Do On Healthcare

Jean Ross writing for Common Dreams, 8/10/17

"Let’s not forget that the huge holes in Obamacare on access and out of pocket costs in particular have left tens of millions of people without care or hammered by the high cost." (Photo: Courtesy of Author)

With liberals across the land breathing a huge sigh of relief after the abrupt collapse of the Senate scheme to repeal and somewhat replace the Affordable Care Act, all is good again with healthcare in America. Right?

Well, there have been a few troubling signs if you can dig past all the news about Donald Trump’s latest tweets.

More than four in ten adults with health insurance struggle with the high cost of deductibles, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey. Nearly 30 percent had trouble paying medical bills, with 73 percent of those cutting back on spending on food, clothing or other basic items. Significant numbers skipped dental care, going to the doctor, getting a recommended medical test or treatment, or filling a prescription. http://www.kff.org/health-costs/poll-finding/data-note-americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia informed enrollees that if they go to the emergency room with a health problem that insurance bean counters later decide was not an “emergency” the insurer will not pay their care, reported Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times. That’s right, patients will get stuck with the bill, after all how much could an ER visit cost? http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-insurance-er-20170602-story.html

If the name Gilead sounds vaguely familiar, here’s a refresher. They’re the people behind Sovaldi, the hepatitis C drug for which Gilead charges $1,000 a pill or $84,000 for a 12-week treatment course, an amount that is threatening to bankrupt public programs which now commonly ration the drug.

Of course, that’s an unfair comparison. All those other countries ahead of us actually prioritize healthcare as a public good, a societal benefit not to be mortgaged off to corporations that exploit their peoples’ health for profit.

We could, of course, have such a system too; you just have to be 65 or older to get access to it. It’s called Medicare, and it remains one of the most popular reforms in U.S. history, far more beloved than those not so charming insurance companies whose principal mission is to collect your premiums and avoid paying anything out for your care.

We can, and should, all celebrate the defeat, for now, of call it McConnellcare or Ryancare or Trumpcare. But let’s not forget that the huge holes in Obamacare on access and out of pocket costs in particular have left tens of millions of people without care or hammered by the high cost.

And, there’s a straightforward way to accomplish that, building on 52 years of our successful Medicare experience – improve, strengthen Medicare, and lower the eligibility age to zero. The Medicare for all movement is growing, climb on board.